NameCensus.

UK surname

Houston

A Scottish habitational surname referring to a place name meaning "Hugh's town."

In the 1881 census there were 3,831 people recorded with the Houston surname, ranking it #1,192 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,527, ranked #887, up from #1,192 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Cumnock, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include New Cumnock, Upper Nithsdale and Johnstone South West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Houston is 7,561 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 96.5%.

1881 census count

3,831

Ranked #1,192

Modern count

7,527

2016, ranked #887

Peak year

2014

7,561 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Houston had 3,831 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,192 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,527 in 2016, ranked #887.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,839 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Houston surname distribution map

The map shows where the Houston surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Houston surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Houston over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 2,220 #1,324
1861 historical 2,610 #1,128
1881 historical 3,831 #1,192
1891 historical 4,277 #1,117
1901 historical 4,839 #1,168
1911 historical 1,195 #3,929
1997 modern 6,740 #963
1998 modern 7,005 #965
1999 modern 7,157 #952
2000 modern 7,172 #950
2001 modern 6,977 #949
2002 modern 7,054 #956
2003 modern 6,851 #960
2004 modern 6,905 #955
2005 modern 6,966 #931
2006 modern 7,021 #928
2007 modern 7,125 #919
2008 modern 7,133 #923
2009 modern 7,312 #922
2010 modern 7,500 #915
2011 modern 7,349 #919
2012 modern 7,326 #905
2013 modern 7,463 #904
2014 modern 7,561 #900
2015 modern 7,507 #895
2016 modern 7,527 #887

Geography

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Where Houstons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Cumnock, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Greenock and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to New Cumnock, Upper Nithsdale, Johnstone South West, Dalry West and City Centre East. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 New Cumnock Ayr
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 New Cumnock East Ayrshire
2 Upper Nithsdale Dumfries and Galloway
3 Johnstone South West Renfrewshire
4 Dalry West North Ayrshire
5 City Centre East Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Houston

These lists show first names that appear often with the Houston surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Houston

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Houston, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Houston surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Houston household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Houston is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Houston is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Houston falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Houston is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Houston, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Houston

The surname HOUSTON has its origins in Scotland, where it emerged in the 12th century as a territorial name. It is derived from the Old English words "hus" meaning house and "tun" meaning town or settlement, indicating that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a large or important house in a particular town or village.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname HOUSTON was Nevinus de Houstoune, who was mentioned in a charter granted by King William the Lion of Scotland in 1189. This charter related to lands near the village of Houston in Renfrewshire, suggesting that Nevinus may have been a landowner or prominent figure in that area.

The HOUSTON name is also found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded the names of Scottish landowners and nobles who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. Among those listed were Johannes de Hustone and Reginaldus de Huston, further evidence of the name's early presence in Scotland.

In the 14th century, a notable bearer of the HOUSTON surname was Sir Reginald de Houstone, who was recorded as attending the Parliament of King David II in 1366. He was likely a descendant of the earlier Reginaldus de Huston mentioned in the Ragman Rolls.

Another historical figure with the HOUSTON surname was Sir John Houston, who was born around 1460 and served as a diplomat and ambassador for King James IV of Scotland in the late 15th century. He was instrumental in negotiating the marriage of King James IV to Princess Margaret Tudor of England in 1503.

In the 17th century, Samuel Houston (1609-1662) was a notable Presbyterian minister and scholar from Scotland who played a significant role in the development of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Ireland. He was also a respected author and published several theological works during his lifetime.

The HOUSTON surname has also been associated with the town of Houston in Renfrewshire, Scotland, which likely derived its name from the surname itself. This town was mentioned in records as early as the 12th century and has been a notable center for the HOUSTON family over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Houston families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Houston surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lanarkshire leads with 1,126 Houstons recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.36x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 1,126 9.36x
Renfrewshire 597 20.71x
Ayrshire 488 17.53x
Lancashire 199 0.45x
Fife 170 7.72x
Midlothian 114 2.29x
Kirkcudbrightshire 96 17.82x
Dunbartonshire 91 9.10x
Angus 87 2.52x
Durham 87 0.79x
Middlesex 83 0.22x
Dumfriesshire 70 8.52x
Stirlingshire 63 4.59x
Caithness 40 7.85x
Argyllshire 39 3.77x
Surrey 32 0.18x
Cumberland 31 0.97x
Hampshire 29 0.38x
Northumberland 27 0.49x
Yorkshire 27 0.07x
Perthshire 25 1.50x
Clackmannanshire 17 5.53x
Wigtownshire 17 3.44x
Cheshire 16 0.19x
Essex 15 0.20x
Warwickshire 15 0.16x
Sussex 14 0.22x
Inverness-shire 13 1.17x
Nottinghamshire 11 0.22x
Peeblesshire 11 6.29x
Roxburghshire 11 1.63x
Aberdeenshire 10 0.29x
Selkirkshire 10 2.97x
Staffordshire 10 0.08x
Suffolk 10 0.22x
West Lothian 10 1.78x
Buteshire 8 3.55x
Kent 8 0.06x
Gloucestershire 7 0.10x
Norfolk 7 0.12x
Shetland 7 1.84x
East Lothian 6 1.22x
Lincolnshire 6 0.10x
Morayshire 6 1.04x
Berkshire 5 0.18x
Berwickshire 5 1.11x
Somerset 5 0.08x
Northamptonshire 4 0.11x
Orkney 4 0.98x
Anglesey 3 0.46x
Devon 3 0.04x
Glamorgan 3 0.05x
Banffshire 2 0.26x
Kinross-shire 2 2.13x
Montgomeryshire 2 0.23x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.17x
Royal Navy 2 0.45x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.04x
Cornwall 1 0.02x
Derbyshire 1 0.02x
Leicestershire 1 0.02x
Ross-shire 1 0.10x
Shropshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 362 Houstons recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.16x.

Place Total Index
Govan 362 12.16x
Barony 323 10.61x
Glasgow 173 8.10x
Kilbarchan 144 164.42x
Abbey 92 20.91x
West Greenock 80 15.46x
New Cumnock 58 120.13x
East Greenock 57 20.94x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 51 2.54x
Liverpool 47 1.75x
Markinch 41 54.83x
Dalry 40 30.53x
Kilbirnie 40 59.83x
Renfrew 36 37.81x
Dunfermline 35 10.33x
Liff Benvie 35 6.69x
Largs 34 51.83x
Old Monkland 33 6.91x
Everton 32 2.27x
Beith 30 36.11x
Houston Killallan 30 107.53x
New Monkland 29 8.15x
Bonhill 28 17.45x
Dundee 28 2.18x
Kilmarnock 27 8.15x
Maryhill 27 11.46x
Dundonald 26 25.32x
Dalserf 24 19.99x
Riccarton 24 57.14x
Cardross 23 19.16x
Old Cumnock 23 37.10x
Dumfries 22 27.14x
Hamilton 22 6.56x
Kilmaurs 22 46.43x
Loudoun 22 32.86x
Paisley High Church 22 9.58x
Paisley Low Church 20 21.91x
Scoonie 20 41.94x
Eastwood 19 10.70x
Shotts 19 13.20x
Wemyss 19 20.39x
Canisbay 18 53.83x
Riccarton Hurlford 18 36.86x
Toxteth Park 18 1.20x
Row 17 13.14x
St Pancras London 17 0.57x
Auckinleck 16 18.56x
Blantyre 16 12.77x
Gateshead 16 1.93x
Islington London 16 0.44x
Mearns 16 31.68x
Salford 16 1.23x
Falkirk 15 4.67x
Kirkcaldy 15 13.73x
Kirkcudbright 15 33.65x
Lochwinnoch 15 34.91x
Rutherglen 14 7.93x
Inchinnan 13 199.69x
Newton On Ayr 13 15.59x
Wick 13 7.90x
Cathcart 12 7.69x
Paisley Middle Church 12 7.15x
South Leith 12 2.14x
St Andrews 12 11.97x
Stockton On Tees 12 2.25x
Byker 11 4.02x
Caldewgate 11 6.27x
Dunoon Kilmun 11 13.62x
Kirkhill 11 58.32x
Kirkpatrick Durham 11 65.63x
New Kilpatrick 11 11.57x
North Leith 11 4.77x
Southend 11 90.46x
Borgue 10 69.20x
Campbeltown 10 8.00x
Edinburgh St Georges 10 9.67x
Girvan 10 14.31x
Peebles 10 19.33x
Shettleston 10 9.28x
West Ham 10 0.62x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Houston surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Houston surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 66
William 37
James 31
Thomas 22
Robert 19
David 16
Charles 14
George 11
Alexander 9
Henry 9
Samuel 6
Andrew 5
Edward 5
Alfred 4
Albert 3
Frederick 3
Joseph 3
Matthew 3
Richard 3
Absor 2
Adam 2
Archibald 2
Arthur 2
Colin 2
Isaac 2
Peter 2
Robt. 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
Wm. 2
Alexandrea 1
Athelstem 1
Fred 1
Frerrick 1
Geo. 1
Gerald 1
Graham 1
Guy 1
Hamilton 1
Harold 1
Jas. 1
Jas.B. 1
Jno. 1
Keyworth 1
Leonard 1
Mark 1
Michael 1
Mitchell 1
Nathaniel 1
Wm.C. 1

FAQ

Houston surname: questions and answers

How common was the Houston surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,831 people were recorded with the Houston surname. That placed it at #1,192 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Houston surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,527 in 2016. That gives Houston a modern rank of #887.

What does the Houston surname mean?

A Scottish habitational surname referring to a place name meaning "Hugh's town."

What does the Houston map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Houston bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.